New train order for Singapore’s Downtown Line

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has ordered an additional 15 metro trains for the city’s new Downtown Line (DTL).

The $119.2 million contract builds on a previous order with Bombardier for 73 trains to operate on the 42 km line, connecting Bukit Panjang through the Central Business District area to Expo.

Chua Chong Kheng, deputy chief executive of LTA, said: “The 15 additional three-car electric trains will allow for more trains to be run during the morning and evening peak hours when needed on the Downtown Line. This will result in shorter waiting times for commuters.”

The trains, which will be delivered from 2015 onwards, are designed in Bombardier Transportation’s head office in Hennigsdorf, Germany and assembled in Changchun, China.

Five of the 11 trains for DTL Stage 1 have already been delivered and are undergoing testing before starting service at the end of the year.